Learn to play "The Mercy Seat" on your guitar with our chord guide. This page provides everything you need to perform this song on the guitar, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.
For easier playing, use our Simplify Chords feature to remove difficult chords like barre.
Em D I began to warm and chill To objects and their fields A ragged cup, a twisted mop The face of Jesus in my soup Those sinister dinner deals The meal trolley's wicked wheels A hooked bone rising from my food All things either good or ungood Chorus: Em And the mercy seat is awaiting And I think my head is burning D And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof F Of An eye for an eye A tooth for a tooth C And anyway I told the truth Em And I'm not afraid to die Interpret signs and catalogue A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog The walls are bad Black, bottom kind They are the sick breath at my hind They are the sick breath at my hind They are the sick breath at my hind They are the sick breath gathering at my hind I hear stories from the chamber How Christ was born into a manger And like some ragged stranger Died upon the cross And might I say It seems so fitting in its way He was a carpenter by trade Or at least that's what I'm told Like my good hand I Tatooed E.V.I.L. across it's brother's fist That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist In Heaven His throne is made of gold The ark of His Testament is stowed A throne from which I'm told All history does unfold Down here it's made of wood and wire And my body is on fire And God is never far away Into the mercy seat I climb My head is shaved, my head is wired And like the moth that tries To enter the bright eye So I go shuffling out of life Just to hide in death awhile And anyway I never lied My kill-hand is called E.V.I.L Wears a wedding band that's G.O.O.D 'Tis a long-suffering shackle Collaring all that rebel blood Chorus: And the mercy seat is burning And I think my head is glowing And in a way I'm hoping To be done with all this weighing up of truth An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And I've got nothing left to lose But I'm not afraid to die The mercy seat is glowing And I think my head is a-melting And in a way I'm helping To be done with all this twisting of the truth An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway, I saw no proof And not a motive why And the mercy seat is a-melting And I think my blood is boiling And in a way I'm spoiling All the fun by all of this consequence and truth An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And I've got nothing left to lose And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is awaiting And I think my head is burning And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway there was no proof And nor a motive why And the mercy seat is awaiting And I think my head is burning And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is waiting And I think my head is burning And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof A life for a life And a truth for a truth And anyway there was no proof And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is waiting And I think my head is smoking And in a way I'm hoping To be done with all these looks of disbelief An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is awaiting And I think my head is burning And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is awaiting And I think my head is burning And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is awaiting And I think my head is burning And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is awaiting And I think my head is burning And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is waiting And I think my head is burning And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth But I'm not afraid to lie And the mercy seat is-a waiting And I think my head is burning And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth But I'm not afraid to lie And the mercy seat is awaiting And I think my head is burning And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth And I'm afraid I told a lie You can simplify chords by removing barre | TransposeReset Font SizeReset Guitar Chord DiagramsC D Em F Here you can see detailed diagrams for each guitar chord used in the song. Utilize our key transposer to adjust the chords to a key that better fits your singing range. Simply select the desired key, and the chords throughout this page will update automatically, ensuring you can play and sing comfortably. |
If you are also interested in learning how to play "The Mercy Seat" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "The Mercy Seat" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.